The Olympics has changed, well at least for me it has. Now that I am an Olympian I must admitthat I see the Games in a different light. I can relate closer, am included more and I am generally more interested. It shouldn’t have taken becoming an Olympian to really see all the amazing aspects of the Olympics, so I am going to break it down on why YOU should love this precious time too.

The Discovery Of Sports – Coming from a country known for mostly winter it’s hard to be familiar with all the summer sports involved with the Olympics. For example, I know almost nothing about all the track and field events. What exactly are the events in a heptathlon? I still don’t know that answer, but I am keen to discover more about it. The Olympics is great exposure to other sports and how they are played. Another example of this is how one of my besties is using the Olympics to gauge her four year old’s interest in sport. She keeps showing him different sports and asks if it interests him… he keeps saying that farming looks more fun…kids are funny.

The Commercials are the Best – I am the first to say that I don’t watch TV especially commercials, and really I should avoid watching them now too. This is because whenever I catch them I always get a little choked up. The P&G one when the diver is on the phone saying he can’t do it and his Mom very calmly says that he can, gosh I am getting teared up now! Companies really capture the emotions that athletes and parents go through; it’s astounding how well they do it.

The Campaigns are Engaging - It’s great how the campaigns connect the athletes to the audience, be it athletes at the Game or ones on homeland. Be it the Sport Check “Train like an Olympian” or what I am a part of, Canadian Tire’s #StepUpStandTall, my first digital campaign to participate in, they all engage you to care about the Games. I love being a part of the conversation and seeing all the moments that come up over the day. People have an opportunity to discover and connect with me. It’s a chance to donate for free to the Olympic Foundation and to JumpStart Charities just be retweeting and sharing the moments. I am not being paid to participate, it’s just a cause I believe in and the other people involved care about the Games and the stories. Check out all the moments Here

Canada’s Athletes Are There – Whether you love the Olympics or not, when you see that maple leaf on the score board you’re interested. Yesterday I was at a restaurant, baseball was on. I had to ask to change the channel to women’s soccer and I could tell the manager wasn’t very happy about it, stating quietly that not everyone loved the Olympics. About ten minutes later all the tables were turned to the TV and closely watching Canada verses France, cheering with the ebbs and flows of the game. Even the manager was into it and smiling when we had won. Canadian’s do love our athletes.

There Are No Boarders At The Games – Probably the biggest reason to love the Olympics is the comradery found between the countries no matter where you are from. This is best expressed in the picture below with the North and South Korean gymnasts taking a selfie together. This is the only time when we all get together to compete on the same and even playing field. The Games bring over two hundred countries together to celebrate sport, acceptance and a union. It just may be the closest thing to world peace.

I am not saying the IOC is perfect, or the aftermath isn’t going to be a nightmare. What I am saying is that the Olympics are awesome. The sports are eye opening, the commercials make us appreciative, the campaigns engage us, the national pride interests us, and there is nothing like an Olympic Games to unify the world. Why wouldn’t you love the Olympics?? Just one more thing GO CANADA GO!!